Rin's Tale
by Lix9799
Summary: She wanted to mean something to someone.  Not a pathetic lackey following a powerful demon lord, nor a pitied girl sheltered by fleeting care.  No. She wanted to have a friend, a friend that would cry on the day she died, and never, ever forget her.
1. Chapter 1

Time is cruel.

I sit on that large tree, the one that Inuyasha had claimed his all those years ago, and for the first time in many days do I actually have the time to simper down and ponder the recent quirks of life.

The sun is beginning to set, riding down on its chariot of beautiful magenta, pink, violet streaks, and the village men hurry back to their homes in clusters of three or four. Their beautiful, strong children rush out from behind their mother's skirts to greet their hardworking fathers and tug on their brother's hands in a silent plea for them to join them in play. The dogs lazily lift their heads, sniffing twice, and jump up to their paws, tongues lolling and ears perking as they pad steadily over to the happy family, hoping to share some of their abundant love.

And this common, daily sight suddenly worms its way under my skin as I realize that I used to have something like that. I used to bother Shuichi to play checkers with us after a long, boring day and he would snap angrily at me, and I would cry. Mother would come over and rebuke Shuichi and take out the set of checkers and play with me until it was time for dinner. And father would sit down on his bed, in the corner next to Akiyo and Akinobu's "boy nest", and clean off his sword. Chibi, the black dog, would nestle in my lap on my bed until Akiyo complained that I was "hogging" Chibi and Mother would make her sleep on the floor.

And thinking about my past, I get this nasty pang in my chest, the same feeling I get when I run for a long time, and the corners of my eyes begin to sting. _Crying. _I haven't cried in so long, why must I cry now, during a perfectly normal day? And I wipe my eyes with a callused hand. My tears are salty.

I wonder how my Lord is doing. He continues to send gifts, beautiful elaborate kimonos and lovely pearl combs, yet, something seems wrong. I cannot fit into the silken clothes he brings me, and instead I give them the Sango's twins, Mitsuki and Mitsuko. The combs lay unused beside my bed, and the jewelry have been sold to pay for my arrows. Has he no idea who I am, now? The only thing that seems somewhat "right" is the dagger, more of a work of art than a defense mechanism. The blade is etched so carefully that the tiny inscriptions can hardly be read. The leather hilt is stiff and new, soft and hard, beautiful and deadly. The blade is wicked sharp, a crescent moon carved in on both sides gleaming underneath the light, a reminder that it was a gift of the Western lands.

And I keep this exquisite dagger underneath my haori sleeve. I still have yet to use it, to contaminate it with the filthy blood of weak demons. I swing my legs, fingering the dagger through the cloth of my haori sleeve, and sit contentedly for a while.

Soon, my thoughts drift over towards my Lord. I wonder how he is. Is he living in his father's castle, with beautiful servants that will tend to his every need? Does he still think about me, working in the fields, callusing my hands with the rough handle of a hoe or the hard edge of a bow? And when the truth dawns on me that he doesn't, a black shadow flits over my heart, digging a cavity deeper and deeper, until I suddenly don't feel the caring, benignant Saint that Kaede insists I am.

I wonder if this bitterness is hate.

And then I wonder what Hate is.

I am broken from my train of thought by a shrill shriek from the village, when I see a little girl, around five or six season cycles, dawdle a bit too close to a fire pit. She is alright, though her mother keeps screaming as though she truly has caught fire. I see Kaede walk over to the crowd and part them, her old age showing stubbornly in her stiff, hesitant steps.

Lady Kaede handles the crowd with ease. They listen to her, like children to mother, and in less than a minute everything is back on track. The men bow their heads to her and the women silent their chittering as she speaks. The babies and children stare in awe whenever she is around, as if expecting the miko to suddenly perform a trick of magic. Their strange expressions gives them a permanently surprised look. She hobbles away, using her large priestess bow as a support, and as if on cue, the village returns to life.

The little girl is ushered back to her home, where her mother chastises her for being so reckless. The pair walks right past me, staring intently at their home. I suppose they didn't catch my greeting.

This annoys me a little bit. It niggles in my brain and in desperation to stop it, I jump off the tree branch.

I call to Kaede, who has made it almost to the top of the hill, and wave at her. She hears me, I know. I know that she hears me by the way she stiffens her back and tilts her head. Yet, she does not look at me. Not even an accidental glance before she walks into the hut and yanks shut the curtain.

And it's then, when reality comes crashing down on me.

She doesn't care.

Nobody does.

That's why I'm in this village. A passerby, as one would say, a lonely girl with no family. And Kaede took pity on my all those years ago when my Lord decided he didn't want me anymore; that's why I can stay. They think I have nobody, no friends or family and they took me in for the fleeting kindness in their hearts that melted away soon after.

But I do have family. It's just that they're not here anymore. And I don't know where they are.

Have you noticed that just moments after you realize something, it suddenly appears everywhere?

The villager's arched backs, turned heads, whispers. It's quite unnerving. I used to think it was merely because of their stressed state, busy with the worrying of family and harvest, that they cannot return my small nod of greeting or simple smile. And when I offer to help, to carry a load, to harvest the rice, they gawk and shove me away, saying that the miko is looking for me and a lady like I should never work in the fields. I do anyways.

And after a couple years, even Kaede will shove me away. After all, I'm under a spell of the evil demon, and Kaede is my helper.

And then the villagers begin to alienate us, Kaede and me. We are bewitched, according to them.

I suppose Kaede is getting sick of it all. That's why she's ignoring me. Right?

Even my Lord has forgotten me now. He has his lands, his affairs, which are one hundred thousand times more important than a mere human child. After all, he also has one hundred thousand children living on his lands, probably more intelligent, more beautiful, more strong and more loved than I ever will be; there is no need to worry over a pathetic creature like me.

And so I realize this, with a sickening pang in my heart that appears to multiply with every intake of breath. It feels as if this hurt of it all is pressing against my heart, pressuring it to feel bitterness, to hate. And I refuse to do that.

I want to mean something to somebody. Even if it is just a child, or a beggar, or … There's still a chance that I can change that utter disgust into oceans of respect, change those upturned noses into awe-bent offerings, change that pretended care into frantic worry, and turn those forced, awkward smiles into bouts of uncontrollable, snot-trailed laughter. And maybe on the day that my body is to be dumped into the earth like the millions before me, I will have a friend that cares about me, a friend that will miss me, and a friend that will never forget me.

After all, there's a new year in which much can be changed. A new day, even. A new hour.

A new page for me to begin scrawling down the legend of my life.

A new beginning

for me to make my life meaningful.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello. Guess what? It's Halloween tomorrow. What are y'all dressing up as?

**Disclaimer: **Hmmm. Can you guys help me think of a better waste of time than this? I don't know. I've only written a few of these disclaimer thingys... Maybe one or two... or maybe three or four... or even five. OR HOW ABOUT ONE MILLION? And no matter how much I complain, I still write these dumb things.

Alright? I don't own Inuyasha. Oh, you thought I did? GO GET AN EYE DOCTOR.

**A/N**: Yeah. Didn't want to scare away an readers, sorry. Just the lawyers. (Psh. Sueing a school kid, really? I'm broke, if any of you care.)

Anyways... I highly doubt you'll be reading this, so I won't waste any more of my time thinking about clever quirks to put here. After all, I already wrote that stupid disclaimer, didn't I?

So... **Read and Review!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter One:

_An ending is always a new beginning._

For my sixteenth birth-day, the one and only human that cared for me died.

The priestess that found time to criticize the angle at which I hold my bow, even when she struggled to breathe. The one that believed in me when everyone else didn't. And the one who, most of all, loved me with her entire heart for her entire life, with a true love from the bottom of her soul, not just a superficial 'care' that dissipated and blew away with time.

She called me to her bed on the morning of my birthday, which I had hurriedly prepared for. I chose a thin white haori, "man's wear" according to the sniffing village, and loose black pants. A few quick brushes through my hair and strapping of my dagger to my arm were subsequent and I was ready for the day in no time.

As soon as I stepped out of my hut, I regretted selling all of my old silk kimonos for lethal weapons and tools. The crispy, biting chill that turned tiny children's noses a healthy pink was back and the men were outside hustling and bustling about, hurrying with the late harvest for this year. Women were wrapping their babies in luxurious furs and themselves in layers of beautiful silks as they chattered about the large income of potatoes or rice this season and little kids ran around the marketplace, showing off their new leather boots or fur hats with excited, undistinguishable laughter. Merchants hung up lovely patterned silks comprising of lotus-designed kimonos, lily-decorated silks, and simply color wools and leather, perfect for making boots. Shopkeepers flounced their newly brought out foods: warm soup, soft rice and fish, roasted pig meat, the entire lot and weapon-forgers demonstrated their wickedly sharp katana and brandished their gleaming swords.

I wished I had money.

Sighing, I headed through the marketplace, trying my best to ignore the wonderful aromas of fresh bread and roast duck, forcing myself to focus on what spices from the villagers Kaede may want me to bring to her.

_Ah, I will bring her some hiru. She likes chives in her miso soup._

And after speaking with Sango, who gladly lent me a copper piece to buy some _hiru_, I headed to Kaede's hut, planning on the wonderful dinner of fish in _miso_ soup I would cook her tonight.

The room, once so brightly lit with passion, now rested in shadow. The windows were covered and the lamps were out, the only light entering were the sneaky little rays that inched between cracks in the wall. A dark shadow on Kaede's face obscured her from my vision, but even then, I could tell that something was awfully wrong.

I hurried over to her bed, dropping the parcel on the doorstep and knelt beside her.

And she collapsed on the soft bed, pulling my arm with her. "Rin."

I carefully wrapped my fingers around her hand. "Lady Kae"— And I stopped immediately when she squeezed down on my knuckles. I was glad that she still had strength to do so.

"Child," She rasped and wheezed. "It is your birth-day. Sixteen season-cycles is it, now?"

And I nodded after hushing her up. Talking took up too much of her breath. "Lady Kaede, you need rest." I pressed my palm to her forehead, shocked at how scalding hot and how chilling cold it was. As if Sickness and Illness had already planned to take her.

She protested, placing her other hand on top of mine. There was a pendant in the icy, sweaty palm. "Take this, childe, and wear it always." It was a flint arrowhead, cold to the touch. And I recognized it at once. It was the first arrow that Kaede had ever shot, one that had been around when the legendary Kikyo was alive and was currently scratched and rusted from old ago, and was Kaede's most valuable and sentimental treasure. I wanted to thank her, but the words choked up in my throat and froze.

My priestess gave one more squeeze before going limp. _Say something! Say something, Rin! _Her eyes shut, and she smiled, breathing so shallow that I doubted even the _kami_ could hear. "K-Kaede?"

There was no reply.

I screamed.

And when the doctor came outside in the evening, from the dislocated, frightened look on his face, I knew at once that she was gone.

* * *

AWW. Not really. I know that was short, and I really want to put something quirky and humorous here to make y'all forgive me and laugh, but seriously, the brain juices are not flowing today. No show, guys. Sorry.

**ToTALLy AwESoME AmAZInG REvIEwERs:**

**Puella Pulchra: **Didn't think I would embarrass you infront of all my readers for being the first AWESOME reviewer, did you? Don't worry, there's only a couple of readers. I'm not THAT good of a writer yet.

Anyways. Hey! I take Latin! Your name means beautiful girl... ... ... ... Right?

Thanks for being the first reader! If I weren't so broke right now, I would send you a Inuyasha plushie through the mail. But for now, you only get a virtual one. And a virtual hug. :D

**.: **Well, you weren't late to follow! Second reviewer! I think you deserve a virtual plushie too! :)

Thanks for reviewing!

Now, the rest of you, if you have time to be reading this story in the first place, you should have plenty of time to review.

See this button? He likes being pushed.

VVVVV


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, yeah. We get the drill. I don't own anything.

**A/N: **So, here I am again, after what, three weeks? Don't complain! If anything, I should be the one complaining! Sheesh, did any of you guys have to write 3 research papers this week? Didn't think so. If you did, we've got to start a petition.

Anyways, this chapter... Not too action packed.

What? You're getting bored already?

HEY! I have to scoot you guys one past the intro. stuff before you hit the fluff. Geez, you guys complain even more than my mom.

**Read and Review**, or I'll have my mom come and get you. If she's not too busy yelling at me for my grades, that is.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Two:

I strung the arrowhead onto a thick piece of twine. I chose the type of twine that the village men used to haul loads of hay and rice from the fields to their houses; it was about as thick around as my finger. And why, you ask, did I choose such an ugly, ridiculous string to wear this delicate, ever-lasting pendant on? I don't want to lose it. Ever.

Like Kaede said, I will wear it forever.

Today, I am setting off to Inuyasha and Kagome's house. With Kaede gone, they are the only people who will care for me. Sango and Miroku would let me stay with them, out of their blessed hearts, but they already have their hands full with five children, each as cheeky and naughty as a monkey.

I pack my haori, a bundle of arrows, Kaede's bow and mine. Strapping the dagger to my arm and a canteen to my pant's buckle, I check around the rooms to see if I would need anything else. My eyes settle on a poison mask that Sango had sent to me after she had her children. I hastily put that away in my bags as well, knowing that with my luck, I am bound to meet something poisonous.

I buckle my worn leather sandals and tied my traveling pack onto my back. I am ready to go now.

The villagers are aloof, like always. I doubt they would act any different if they knew I was leaving. I nod to the shopkeeper, the plump man that once gave me a piece of roast duck when I was starving, and he waves back at me, smiled and gesturing to his cart of warm bread. Just this act of kindness makes my heart turn, and I pay for a warm slice of bread with one of the last coins I have.

He asks me where I am going, I and say that I am visiting a friend. He hands me another piece of bread, knowing that I have no intention to pay for it, and I quickly hand it back. I can't take gifts, I say, when I have given none. He frowns, but does not force it upon me again.

Halfway up the hill, I realize how my eyes were burning. _Tears? _Why? I have nothing here. Nothing but memories.

And taking one last glance at the bustling village, I realize that there was kindness, though very hidden behind small gestures and slight smiles; there was kindness. _Regret? _I angrily swat it away.

I fool myself into thinking I will come back. And someday these people here will respect me. Maybe even befriend me. Like the nice shopkeeper. Or the smiling old man. Or the clumsy laughing toddler.

And knowing this, the clenching hold in my heart loosens enough that I can proudly walk out of the village territory without tears smothering my vision.

* * *

When I woke this morning, my fingers were still gripping the handle of my bow. The arrowhead pendant was jabbing into my chest, as if warning me to wake quickly and be alert. The canopy of the trees filter out the sun, which is already floating high up in the sky. Single rays squirm their way past the leaves and leave a beautifully crafted painting of sunlight on the foliage-covered ground. A bird, seemingly many miles away, chirps softly, waiting for a reply that has not come. And I smile, after a luxurious stretch, remembering where I am heading for today.

I stand up, brushing crispy leaves off my body and quickly tie my travel pack before grabbing my canteen. Stopping to fill my canteen in the stream, I shriek with joy when I find a little tadpole in the water. It swims around inside, bumping into the confining sides of the bamboo canteen. I wonder if I can keep the tadpole with me on my journey, but my canteen is far too small for it to stay comfortably. Downcast, I carefully spill out my canteen and fill it up again, checking if I made a lucky catch again. Nope. The tadpole flips into the crystalline water and swims away. I am sad to see it go.

By the sunset today, I should be there. I wonder if Kagome and Inuyasha are the same. And instantly, a twisting shock in my stomach, I am afraid that they will not let me stay. Then what?

I do not know. I have nobody left besides …

And that is not an option.

I forced myself to continue the trek to Kagome's village. I pass a hut in the middle of the forest. It is abandoned, old and slowly disintegrating.._. _I don't remember that being there before. And… Kagome's village wasn't supposed to be this far. I hadn't even passed the large willow tree yet and that was only a halfway marker…

I refrained myself from uttering a curse.

And I mentally slap myself. _Stop being such a wussy. _I learned how to use a katana, after all. And I wasn't a good shot with the bow and arrow for nothing. Not to mention all of that grunt work I did for the village men. Realizing this, I suddenly don't feel too bad for myself.

Retracing my steps, I find myself back on the route I took here. It's strange that I didn't notice I was walking South rather than West, my mind was so occupied with nonsense rubbish.

* * *

It's another five moon cycles before I reach Kagome's village.

I ask for directions to their home, which the villagers tell me is the "miko's house". They point to a beautiful mansion, surrounded by a yard of _sakura _trees, withering in the bitter coldness. A _koi _pond stands before the wooden doors, with a dozen fish gliding around beneath the lily-pad covered surface of the water. I bend down, watching in amazement at the way the sun glints off the smooth scales on the _koi_s'backs, and the way the ripples bend and warp with every tiny swish of a golden tail.

I jump when I feel a hand on my shoulder, and turn to come face to face with Inuyasha. Still wearing his fire-red haori, with the same look of attitude on his face, he asks me who I am. And my heart sinks all the way down to my bare feet.

"Rin." I reply, praying that he will remember.

He jumps over the fence around the mansion, leaving without a word, and I shut my eyes, praying that he will not leave me outside. I try to see over the magnificent walls, but am distracted by the carvings in them. One that catches my attention depicts a beautiful man, with wickedly sharp markings traced on both sides of his face and a moon etched on his forehead. His royal cloak flaps behind him, in rhythm with his silver hair, and his eyes are narrowed in a stoic, menacing mask. Beside him is a large two-headed dragon, maw open in a silent roar, and a tiny demon standing on the dragon's saddle. The tiny demon is frozen in waving around his staff, which is twice his size, in a feeble attempt to shield the pathetic human girl behind him. That human girl's large eyes are kept in a forever startled look, while she clings onto the leather saddle of the demon. Her mouth is open in an endless shriek, with words only I can guess.

"Rin?"

Kagome's sweet voice startles me from my short reverie. I reluctantly tear my gaze away from the cherry-oak wall carvings to be met by the most cheery, lovely eyes I have ever seen. Kagome looks just like that beautiful, ethereal priestess, the way she holds herself as a poised woman of power, and her perfectly molded smile. I am shocked to see how she has transformed into a perfect model of feudal Japan, leaving her world centuries behind. She wears the simple red and white mark of a priestess, with a strong, sturdy bow strapped to her back. Her quiver of arrows is packed full, and tucked beneath her belt is a long, gleaming sword.

She is glad to see me, dragging me by my exhausted arms into her large mansion and shoving all sorts of snacks and food to me. Inuyasha sits off to the corner, shuffling his feet every now and then to make sure we don't forget he is there.

I give Kagome a comb that I brought from my village as a poorly performed gesture of thanks. It used to be Kikyo's, the previous miko, passed down to Lady Kaede and then to me. She traces her fingers over the intricate designs engraved in the pearly white crystal, falling into a same sort of trance as I had moments ago. And I decide not to tell her to whom it used to belong, for that specific name can reopen some scars that have only begun to heal.

Kagome takes me outside, where we make sure to wave to Inuyasha, who is sulking on a large tree branch. He frowns and turns away, causing me to double over in laughter. Kagome apologizes for his childish behavior, threatening to "sit" him if he continues this "petty display of 'strength'".

I smile softly, silently wishing that I had someone that could cheer me up like that, and allow Kagome to drag me out to the forest. She wants to show me her cherry blossom garden and perhaps teach me more techniques for stringing a bow and arrow. Her warm fingers clasp around mine, strangling them, as if she doesn't want me to run away ever. I wonder if this is another superficial display.

With my other hand, I gently rub the icy-cold pendent around my neck, silently wondering where Kaede is now. And perhaps it was just the subtle rustling of leaves around me, but for a flicker of a second, I could have sworn I heard a raspy chuckle echo in my ear.

_Kaede? Is that you?_

* * *

YAY! I just blurted out another 1,500 words! Pretty long chapter, by my standards.

Thank you reviewers! I would recognize you if I weren't too tired. It's really late right now.

See this button? He likes being pushed.

Oh, and he doesn't like being ignored either.

That's why I have to voice his opinions.

So, push the darn button already!

VVVVV


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